The Karen phenomenon — a disparaging term for entitled white women who harass service industry workers — has been around for years, but it gained national notoriety when Amy Cooper made a police call on a Black bird-watcher in Central Park.
Though these videos often demonstrate microaggressions motivated by race and class, experts also observe a more subdued form of racism that goes undetected in public view. This type of harassment isn’t easily visible but is widespread throughout America and can be linked back to economic or social class issues.
Long-Term Arrest Trends
The arrest trends of entitled Karens are typically linked to racial disparities within the criminal-legal system and police policing. Many cities in California have high incarceration rates, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles; South Central Los Angeles residents experience incarceration rates three times higher than their citywide average.
These incarceration rates are linked to numerous social, economic and environmental obstacles that systematically disadvantage these neighborhoods. These include the disproportionate number of people stopped and arrested by police officers, lack of access to quality healthcare and housing options, as well as a hazardous climate which makes working difficult.
Furthermore, the economic issues these people face make it more likely that they will engage in violent or criminal behaviors. These circumstances have contributed to an uptick in aggravated assault, murder and burglary crimes across Southern California.
Some of these incidents can be linked to systemic racial prejudices. For instance, a recent study discovered that those living in South Central Los Angeles are five and a half times more likely to be stopped by police officers than their counterparts elsewhere in the city.
However, this does not indicate that all these incidents are due to racism. They could instead be compounded by other factors like stress, anxiety or depression.
In February, the anti-vaxxer “Karen” meme began gaining momentum as a mockery of certain white women. But it soon evolved into an explicitly racialized shorthand for social policing around the coronavirus outbreak.
As the coronavirus spread, more and more “Karens” emerged online. These women refused to wear face coverings in public, criticised the pandemic, and questioned its validity.
According to Lillian Glass, a communications and body language expert, these incidents are indicative of an underlying trend. They reflect the social and emotional struggles many entitled Karens and Kens face on a daily basis.
She emphasizes that the anger displayed in these videos usually stems from a feeling of displacement; these women become furious at being judged for being different or outcasts from their peers.
Some experts speculate that the anger may also be an effort to exact retribution against someone who is being treated unfairly. It could be a response to the resurgence of Black Lives Matter or it could simply be due to ongoing financial and social problems confronting California’s poor communities.
Fitzgerald asserts that the incidences of police brutality against Black people are indicative of a much larger problem in our society: an increasing tendency to police and treat them differently than other individuals. These incidents serve as evidence of this trend.
Short-Term Trends
When we think of entitled Karens, we typically envision a white woman whose behavior is motivated by anger and entitlement. They may be seen slamming the door on store managers, refusing to wear face masks or demanding explanations from people of color.
Karen-inspired incidents often stem from deeper issues of race, class, feminism and privilege. These microaggressions may be due to racial profiling, cultural “redlining” where white people attempt to maintain exclusivity of access in public places or just plain old entitlement. Unfortunately, these issues often manifest themselves in societies where mental health problems, substance abuse problems, socio-economic disenfranchisement and other difficulties coexist with an intense sense of entitlement towards privileged lifestyles and associated social perks.
As the United States enters its second half of history, new economic and social divisions have arisen that are causing much distress to a white working class that helped elect Donald Trump in 2016. Denise Dudley, a workplace consultant in San Luis Obispo, Calif., noted that Karens and Kens feel threatened and under-educated due to furloughs, layoffs, lockdowns and Black Lives Matter’s return. Despite their own anger at being told to temper down by society at times, Karens and Kens feel threatened and under-educated while society expects them to restrain their emotions.
Karens–whether they occur in a supermarket or clothing store, during an encounter with airline crew on the way to vacation, or when confronting store manager–are often captured on video and shared online. These “Karens” can generate millions of views online and stir up emotions ranging from frustration to outrage.
Some social commentators claim these Karen and Ken videos and memes offer a glimpse into rage, entitlement, fear, and anger that can accompany such situations. They point to research which suggests women tend to express their emotions more openly than men do, which could explain why more of these videos feature Karens than Kens.
Others contend that Karens are indicative of the oppression and repression still prevalent in American culture, and should be condemned accordingly. According to Terence Fitzgerald’s “Sexism in America: A Critical Examination,” these incidents arise out of “a confluence” of complex issues.
According to a recent study by Pew Research Center, 66% of Black adults have encountered people who showed suspicion towards them, compared to only 25% among white adults. These encounters can be the result of both white and non-white people engaging in racial profiling or discriminatory practices in an increasingly divisive society over issues like economic disenfranchisement and social justice.
These video clips, made famous by Karen video director Karen, serve as a stark reminder of the persisting legacy of racial discrimination in America. They demonstrate how white Americans, who hold more wealth and power than Black Americans, continue to perpetuate a racist system which keeps Black people living in constant fear and anxiety.
Long-Term Trends in California
Entitled Karens have become a ubiquitous icon of viral video culture, often featured screaming at someone or donning masks to avoid being asked to leave. Karens often depict an angry group of women who feel they aren’t treated fairly by the system.
Some consider these videos to be sexist and misogynistic, yet others contend they are simply expressions of anger and frustration tied to larger issues affecting people of color.
Stephanie Younger wrote for the Black Feminist Collective that criticizing entitled Karen videos as “peak white feminism” ignores the reality that many women of color face racism and discrimination daily – and that the only way to combat these experiences is by ensuring they’re treated equally. She stressed the importance of equality in these cases.
Despite widespread criticism of the “Karen” phenomenon, it remains a popular meme. One of the most iconic videos ever is an incident in which a woman who identified herself as a “Karen” called police on a Black man for having a picnic.
Another example of an entitled Karen is a woman who called the police on a Black person for writing “Black Lives Matter” in chalk on his sidewalk. This case was reported by San Francisco Chronicle in June 2016.
These incidents can raise a variety of complex issues, from mental health and substance abuse issues to the strains caused by COVID-19 and fears about being targeted for criminal activity by law enforcement. They may also be indicative of a larger underlying problem which many Californians experience.
Some experts speculate that the rise of these incidents can be linked to the recent growth in social media usage by white women as a means of expressing their emotions. Others contend that fear of COVID-19 may also have contributed to people acting out more publicly than usual.
For instance, a woman whose Facebook profile indicates she resides in San Francisco was caught on video calling the police on a Black man for trying to write “Black Lives Matter” with chalk on a retaining wall outside her home last year. She and her partner walked up to him and verbally chastised him for breaking the law by writing on the wall, insisting it was illegal and breaking the law.
In the video, someone was arrested for a felony and the woman who called police on her had been charged with a misdemeanor. She was sentenced to probation and a fine.
Although the trend of arrests for this category has decreased over the last several years, a substantial population still gets arrested in California – especially those living in rural counties like Siskiyou or Lake Counties where it can be harder for them to avoid contact with law enforcement.
